NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- The outside observer may think Maury football will be vulnerable this season. Gone are the likes of Au'Tori Newkirk, Ari Watford, Kendall Daniels and LeBron Bond.
Those observers, however, might not be familiar with Commodore football.
"We knew those guys were going to leave one day," said Maury head coach Dyrri McCain. "The next challenge with these guys was, how do we maximize this team?"
The Commodores have proven they seemingly can adapt to any situation. Be it rain or shine, inside or outside, or reserves moving into starting roles, the squad has a track record of success. McCain noted that his back-ups get plenty of reps during the course of a regular season.
"We do a good job of playing a lot of guys," he pointed out. "A lot of those guys that are playing, maybe one of them or two of them, that will be their first time ever out there in the experience. Everybody else, the other 10 or nine, have played a lot of snaps."
"It's always exciting when they think certain guys have left," added senior inside linebacker Ike Simmons. "We never rebuild. We just reload and we always have guys coming through."
That includes the most-watched position on the field. For the first time since 2022, Au'Tori Newkirk will not be lining up at quarterback, as he's moved onto the college ranks at North Carolina. Now, Domo Edwards and/or Matt Wiliams will take hold of the offense and shoulder the load.
"Great things are going to come from both of those guys," said McCain. "Matt's going to play a bunch of multiple spots. Domo will just be at quarterback, so two guys that are going to show leadership."
Once again, the road will be challenging for Maury, especially in the early going. The Commodores open with Cardinal Gibbons in Raleigh, North Carolina, and also have Richmond-area powerhouse Varina on their early schedule. After running the table the last two years and entering the season on a 30-game winning streak, the program is everybody's biggest target.
"We love the big moments, the big games, the crowds," Simmons said. "We prepare for big crowds. We prepare for playing in front of 10,000 people when the stands are roaring, so we embrace it."
"Soon, this winning streak is going to be over," McCain added. "As a competitor, I don't want it to be, but it's going to be over. We just have to make sure that this group continues that."
The Commodores are on the doorstep of history. Last season saw them win back-to-back state crowns for the first time and now they look for a third title in a row. The current team is carrying the torch from the leaders of the last two championship squads and looking to make a name for itself.
"The fun part is just figuring out who this team is going to be," McCain noted. "I'm not trying to be the '19 team, I'm not trying to be the '23 team, I'm not trying to be last year's team. We're going to be this team this year and see what we got."
"A lot of guys are doubting us after this '25 class graduated," Simmons said. "We just want to prove that we can get it done and be better than these past championship teams."
Maury and Cardinal Gibbons open the season August 29 in Raleigh.
